MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — West Virginia’s student section has become an embarrassment, and Saturday’s game against UT Martin was another perfect example. Students show up late, leave early, and spend far too little time actually supporting the football team. Even when the Mountaineers are playing well, large portions of the student section empty out long before the game is over. It is a terrible look on television and an even worse reflection of a fan base that constantly talks about how much West Virginia football means to this state.
The frustrating part is that these are some of the best seats inside Milan Puskar Stadium. While loyal West Virginia fans are paying good money to sit elsewhere, entire sections near the field are left empty because students have decided they would rather return to the parking lot and continue drinking. If they are not going to stay and use those seats, the university should seriously consider reducing the size of the student section and selling more of those tickets to the general public. There are plenty of Mountaineer fans who would gladly pay for those seats and remain inside the stadium until the final whistle.
West Virginia’s student section is embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/xqdgRBzIHu
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) September 12, 2026
Students will make plenty of excuses. Some will point to the opponent, the weather, or the score. None of those excuses are good enough. Being part of a college football student section is supposed to be about creating an intimidating home-field advantage and supporting your classmates for four quarters. It should not be treated as a brief stop between two trips to the parking lot. The players have worked all year for the opportunity to represent West Virginia, and they deserve better support from their fellow students.
Obviously, this does not apply to every student. There are some who arrive early, stand throughout the game, and remain passionate until the end. Unfortunately, they are increasingly overshadowed by the large number of students who appear to care more about the social scene than the football game itself. When thousands of seats are empty while the game is still being played, it is difficult to argue that supporting the team is truly a priority.
West Virginia fans pride themselves on being among the most passionate in college football, but the student section is not living up to that reputation. If students want to prove they are real fans, they need to show up on time, stay in their seats, and support the Mountaineers for the entire game. Until that happens, the university should stop allowing prime seating to sit empty and make those tickets available to the people who genuinely want to be there.
